


A cat has claws, love has thorns (they are both worth the risk)

by Maria_and_her_books



Category: LazyTown
Genre: M/M, and might be projecting on it, lots of emotional and literal rescuing, robbie adopts the lazytown kitten, robbie is brave and sportacus is patient
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:41:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27579980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maria_and_her_books/pseuds/Maria_and_her_books
Summary: Robbie and the Lazytown kitten learn to trust and find a home.
Relationships: Robbie Rotten/Sportacus
Comments: 18
Kudos: 79





	A cat has claws, love has thorns (they are both worth the risk)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [versti_fantur](https://archiveofourown.org/users/versti_fantur/gifts).



> For versti_fantur, thank you for all your wonderful comment dear!

No one had ever said that the Lazytown kitten was a smart little thing and well, it wasn't. 

It was stubborn though. 

And loud.

It had shown up at Robbie's lair one day, its quiet meows near the pipes amplified into a roar in the quiet of Robbie's home and it had startled Robbie right out of his chair. 

Robbie was sure that he'd returned the lion after the whole circus debacle.

Reasonably sure.

Sort off.

A peek through his periscope and he startled at the white teeth, the yellow eyes, the whiskers...

...the cute pink nose?

He dialed down the magnification and there was the kitten, pawing at the lens of the periscope, its little pink tongue licking it once, twice...

With a squeak Robbie bolted to the surface ready to tell of the tiny vandal but the small delinquent merely stared up at him, eyes wide and dark, its fluffy tail flicking lazily and Robbie forgot all about his indignance.

A quiet whine and a flick of a tiny ear and the foolish thing tilted it's head as it looked at Robbie as if he was the saviour of all creatures small. 

He'd come to Robbie for help. No one ever came to him for help.

Gingerly reaching out, expecting sharp nails or even sharper teeth, Robbie scooped up the pitiful fuzzy critter. It was far lighter than he expected and he felt the rapid heartbeat thrumming in its small chest. 

It nuzzled at the palm of his hand, suckled at Robbie's thumb and let out another of those soft sad sounds.

It was hungry Robbie supposed as he ran a careful finger over its fur, felt the ribs far too clearly. Weren't kittens supposed to be chubby? All blissed-out naps with pudgy bellies and milk-moustaches and Robbie was sure of that, had seen those pictures and had felt vaguely jealous.

"Wait here," he told it as he set it down on the ground, went to see what his fridge had to offer. It was still there when he returned and hobbled over to him on clumsy paws.

It might be smarter than he'd initially thought, Robbie mused as he watched it appreciate the cream he'd set down for it, lick clean the bowl. 

"Now shoo, go home." 

The kitten blinked up at him, yawned widely, curled up and promptly fell asleep. 

Robbie went down and did the same.

\---

It kept showing up and Robbie had given up on trying to make it leave, simply shared his high quality cream with another connoisseur, found a measure of peace in its quiet grateful purring. 

On the days that were not so good he send up some premium wet food. The kitten ate it with the same gusto it had for everything Robbie offered it but on the days after it would always butt it's tiny head at Robbie's hand, would not eat before Robbie had pet it. Warm and soft and something untangled in his chest, made it a little easier to breathe.

It was nice to be comforted like this, to be missed like this. 

They fit well together, a pair of misfits, unsocialized and a little feral, wary of strangers.

Robbie had checked but the kitten went to no one else in town. It was kinda nice to be preferred above everyone else. On the best of days he might even call it be loved. 

\---

It was also handy to keep the little moocher around to get rid of the dried fish his cousin kept sending him. "Glanni's a catburglar," he told the sleeping kitten, "a terribly role-model for any impressionable young kitten. And even worse is that he's in love with an Elf who does not know what proper food looks like. " 

The kitten sniffled at that and yawned, stretched luxuriously before falling asleep again.

"You're right, things like that don't really matter when you love someone."

\--- 

The rain had been coming down all day, at times it was impossible to tell where land met the sky, it all blurring together in a grey wetness. 

Robbie liked rainy days, the world was quiet with the brats holed up indoors. 

There were no weird confusing feelings in his chest when catching a glimpse of a blue uniform, when hearing a kind voice, an accent colouring words soft and warm. 

There was no chance of running into the town's menace and being tongue-tied for words, flailing and hoping his blush would not show. 

There was no hope of seeing laughing blue eyes and the curl of a hopeful smile. 

Restlessly he got up and stalked over to his periscope, tried to get a glimpse of... 

...the kitten. 

Robbie had wondered before where the stray was just when he needed its distraction and here was the answer. The field between Robbie's lair and Lazytown had become flooded and on top of a piece of driftwood the kitten miserably shivered, meowed piteously as it tried not to fall into the freezing water. 

Robbie glanced back at the costumes on display, hoping for a bit of inspiration as how to rescue his whiskered ward. 

_-too swishy, too dishy, too hissy, aaah something fishy!-_

The purple waders had been part of a plot to teach the brats to fish, a pastime that was both supposed to be quiet and called a sport at the same time. Win-win for everyone involved he had thought. The less said about the disastrous outcome of that plan, the better. How was he to know that the catfish in the rivers near Lazytown were both bigger and stronger than Stingy's sense of self-preservation? 

Sportacus' uniform had clung to his well-toned body, the wet fabric leaving little to imagination in certain places. Robbie's inconvenient mind had filled the other parts in and he'd stared as Sportacus rose from the water like a northern sea god from one of those myths of his homeland he'd told the kids about and...

...and he was losing valuable time standing here.

He caught his own blushing reflection in the mirror and quickly looked away.

There was a kitten to be saved first. Daydreams would have to wait.

\---

He'd gotten to the kitten alright but the blasted beast had refused to be rescued, clung with all 20 tiny nails to it's precarious perch. A gust of jealous northern wind had blown his Southwester away and icy water was dripping down the back of his neck, unerringly found its way down Robbie's back. 

"Come here Cookie, let's get home and dry and Glanni has send some salmon. You like salmon don't you?" 

A shaky meow and the stubborn little thing finally looked at him, eyes big and panicked and Robbie knew all about lashing out when being scared. Keeping his voice low he cajoled some more, promised warm blankets and cream and if the dear idiot would come over already Robbie might even play with it for while. No running though, that was reserved for obedient little kittens who would have accepted help ages ago.

A powerful sneeze and it inched closer to Robbie's outstretched hand. Robbie waited, all attention on the pitiable kitten and the wind blowing away the sound of a ringing crystal. 

"Hi Robbie!"

Startled by the sudden appearance of the blue Elf Robbie flailed and jerked away, slipped on the muddy ground and went under in the cold cold water with a yelp. 

With unexpected solidarity the kitten meowed and lost its footing too.

-

He came up spluttering and glared at Sportacus but the hero's attention was on Robbie's smaller but just as fiercely glaring and hissing counterpart. Bleeding scratches and bite marks all over Sportacus' hands and arms and the Elf was stripping out of his vest in order to wrap the kitten up in it. 

With a huff Robbie waded over, water sloshing in his boots and hands numb with cold. Catching sight of him the contrary beast jumped in his arms, buried his head under Robbie's chin and Robbie read clearly on Sportacus' face that they must make a sorry pair as they huddled close, both drenched and shivering in the pouring rain.

All that care and concern focused on him and Robbie looked away, froze in consternation as Sportacus put a strong arm around his waist, pulled him close and grabbed hold of the ladder of his airship, shouted at it to pull them up.

Panicked at seeing how fast and far up they were going Robbie whimpered, closed his eyes and turned his face into Sportacus' shoulder. Sportacus held him tight until the door of the airship was safely closed behind them and only then let go.

Robbie flailed away from the hero, slipped on the water that had puddled around them and, still a solid grip on the kitten, painfully crashed to the ground. 

Sportacus stared, mouth working soundlessly, clearly at a loss of what to do and Robbie didn't know either, he wanted Sportacus to stay away and come closer and he wanted to lash out and be held and...

Sportacus' ship took charge, threw a warm and fluffy towel at Robbie and Robbie gently dried the shivering kitten, mused that white was a highly impractical colour and quietly grumbled at the unrepentant troublemaker about muddy pawprints while carefully wiping tiny toebeans. Eventually the kitten wiggled away and dashed to Sportacus' bed, buried under it's immaculate white cover and longingly Robbie looked at the tempting warmth and softness.

"You should take a shower to warm up Robbie," and there was a different but not less longed for warmth and softness in Sportacus' voice. 

A door opened to a bathroom and teeth clattering Robbie miserably wrapped his arms around himself, muttered about wanting to go home until a sneeze cut off his words.

"Please Robbie," quiet and a little pleading and Sportacus looked so worried and the cat was still hiding and Robbie was not leaving the ship without it and...

The water in Sportacus' shower was wonderfully warm and the towels thick and fluffy and Robbie'd never expected this hedonistic side of Sportacus. On a heated towel rack fresh clothes were laid out for him. Unfortunately blue though not as bright as the hero's uniform.

The hoodie was a little bit short in the arms and the sweatpants hanging low on his hips but comfortable and blissfully warm and Robbie was almost able to forget that he was in the air. 

Sportacus had changed into dry clothes too and Robbie halted in the doorway at the sight of bare honey-golden skin as the Elf's shirt rode up. 

Sportacus was toweling his hair dry, unruly curls that not even water had been able to tame. Robbie swallowed as he watched a drop of water trail down Sportacus' neck and biting his lip he looked away. 

"You might want to check on your cat, he keeps hissing at me."

Grateful for the distraction Robbie hurried over to the bed, found a tiny disgruntled head peaking out from under the covers, meowing plaintively as an insistent paw kept clawing at the sleeve of Robbie's borrowed sweater as if wanting to drag Robbie into its appropriated nest. 

Sportacus laughed behind Robbie, "You better listen to him, he wants you to follow."

Robbie wondered if Sportacus spoke cat, would not put it behind him. He dared a glance at the hero, the Elf's eyes snapping up when Robbie turned and Robbie wondered what exactly Sportacus had been looking at. 

A loud meow pulled Robbie's attention away from an intriguing blush and heart doing funny things 

Robbie climbed into the bed wondering why everything Sportacus owned was so very very comfortable as he drew the blankets all around him, the kitten snuggling to his chest, purring contently. 

"I've landed us near your home while you were showering. There's a tree blocking the entrance, I'll go out and remove it."

Robbie listened to the howling of the storm, the crash of the thunder. To have Sportacus go back into that... "No, no, don't go. You'll.... you'll let in the cold when you open the door."

"I'll be quick."

"Just.. don't? Wait...wait for the storm to pass," Robbie frantically sought for an excuse, "I'm not going through the rain as it is storming anyway and..." Sportacus' smile at him was enough to make his stutter come to a halt.

The rain was pattering on the roof and with Sportacus still smiling like that it was almost like... like... like the airship wasn't all that terrible.

"Okay Robbie," Sportacus grabbed a Medikit and started to tend to the scratches and bitewounds on his arms. Robbie watched him for a long moment as the hero tried to rub ointment on hard to reach spots.

"Come here, let me do that," the words were out of his mouth before he even had started to consider how many ways his offer could be rejected. How carelessly he could be dismissed and turned away.

But this was Sportacus, Sportacus would never hurt him. Had reached out time and again even though Robbie had fled, had scratched. 

Heart hammering in his chest Robbie waited, watched as Sportacus came closer and offered Robbie the salve and bandages. Hand dashing out Robbie grabbed the supplies and Sportacus was so close and so trusting and... and so awkwardly bending over, stretching his arm out so Robbie could easily reach. 

No, Sportacus would never hurt him, was always so careful about Robbie's personal space and Robbie could do this, could let him close.

"Come, sit here," Robbie patted the bed next to him and Sportacus didn't question him, just followed his lead and sat down, a warm and safe presence at Robbie's side. 

The salve smelled sweet and Robbie wanted to taste it, inhaled deeply and let the scent of honey and lavender calm him. 

Sportacus was quiet when Robbie carefully applied the antiseptic on the first of the angry red clawmarks. Robbie blew softly on the salve before gently putting a plaster over it and moving on to the next. 

He was nearly done, held Sportacus' hand in his own as he bandaged a particularly nasty bite wound when Sportacus shivered lightly and questioning Robbie looked up, found Sportacus biting his lip, blue eyes dark and finely pointed ears red. 

Oh.

Not rejection then. 

Not unwanted.

Robbie smiled, let his fingers curl around Sportacus hand, bend down to kiss the Elf's knuckles. Dared to admit to himself that he'd long lost his heart. But it was okay, he was not alone in this. 

-

A quiet meow and a pink nose peeking out from it's hiding place, the kitten stretching up to rub its face against their joined hands.

"He'll let you close now," Robbie felt himself blush but did not care as he saw his blush answered by Sportacus. 

Robbie's heart was in a safe place. 

He was loved.

\-----


End file.
